JD Vance says Iran war hurt Republicans in midterms as Trump stands by his decision
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Vice President JD Vance said the war with Iran was the main reason Republicans lost in the recent midterm elections, and President Donald Trump said the conflict was part of the outcome while defending his decision to launch it.
Vice President JD Vance told supporters on X that the Republican Party’s loss in the recent midterm elections was largely due to the war with Iran, a conflict that many in the party believe overshadowed everything else. He said the war, which President Donald Trump launched in February alongside Israel, was "the real reason we lost" and urged a direct conversation about the party’s future.
"The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone … The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote.
Vance added that critics could debate whether the war was worth the cost, but he maintained that the public’s reaction to the conflict was a decisive political factor.
President Donald Trump made a similar comment to the Wall Street Journal, acknowledging that Iran was "a piece of it" in the election outcome, while also saying he had no regrets about initiating the war.
"I don’t think about it. I did the right thing. I would have done it again," Trump said in the interview.
Both officials tied the war’s unpopularity to the party’s electoral setbacks, indicating that the issue will likely shape strategic discussions ahead of future campaigns.